Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to enabling physical controls on an illuminated surface.
Description of the Related Art
Touch displays are used in many consumer applications (e.g., smart phones, computer displays, medical imaging devices, automotive control displays, etc.) to provide an intuitive user interface. The touch detection technology used in such displays includes electrical capacitance detection, electrical resistance detection, and optical detection. For optical touch detection, one or more imaging sensors and a light source (e.g., one or more infrared cameras and infrared light-emitting diodes (LEDs)) may be used to capture images of a touch surface.
Most touch display systems currently available use graphics to create virtual controls for applications. However, these graphical virtual controls do not offer the tactile feedback of physical controls. The ability to touch and feel a physical control, e.g., a knob, slider, button, switch, etc., is especially valuable in scenarios where the user needs to interact with a touch screen without looking at it, such as changing the volume of a sound system while driving.